Fabulous Floors Q1 2017 Winter | Page 31

Reclaimed Values by Shaw Laminate. What I Need to Know About Laminate ■ Laminate is versatile. It can go just about anywhere in your home and installs easily. ■ Installation is easy. Laminate is installed as a “floating floor,” meaning not nailed or glued down. It clicks together. Laminate can go over virtually any solid, intact surface including wood, concrete, tile, resilient, etc. Ask your retailer about manufacturers’ recommendations. ■ Quick. Easy. Laminate fits any budget. Though you save by doing-it-yourself, our recommendation is always to have your floors professionally installed. ■ Explore thin or wide planks, large and small tile and new looks, such as exotic or hand-scraped wood. The trend in laminate is toward larger formats. ■ Laminate is easier than ever to install as a custom floor. Good news! The cost of the custom look is attractive, because the time to install laminate is greatly reduced, compared with other flooring types. ■ Laminate flooring is low maintenance and extremely durable. Much of that has to do with super-tough wear surface treatments, such as embedded aluminum oxide particles. ■ Ask about the latest sound-deadening underlayment making laminate quiet underfoot and other features that are available with underlayment -- such as moisture, mold, mildew and bacteria resistance. Q1 2017 29